What's happened to Arcadeworld UK?

[flem]

Is Andy a member here on ukvac?

 

[KO007]

Hi all,

I am the main arcade kit manufacturer and supplier to Arcadeworlduk. Like you I have questions as well. Andy and I have worked quite closely together for many years as I supply all their kits. I can't get hold of him or the guys working for him. Andy is a decent guy, so for something like this to happen I doubt he has just done a runner. He has a couple of guys working for him and one with a small family.

I depend on selling the machines through his website as I provided him with sole selling rights and it's been financially challenging this month with the site down.

Regarding comments about his limited company. He was a sole trader and last year registered a ltd company, nothing untoward there.

I've started listing the arcade machines on my website if anyone is looking for kits. It's a bit of a blow for us. But as I say this is out of character for Andy. Knockoutarcades.com.

 

[mcc-destroyer]

I’ve also lodge a dispute with my bank but not holding out much as I placed my order at the end of feb.

I'm also waiting for an outstanding order of 3/4 size cab, the base and t-mold to fit it. Last I heard from them was May 1st, about adding extras to the cnc on the cab, the site disappeared for me on Tuesday, I think.
I'm pretty sure though, that if you paid by Visa or Mastercard, that it may cover payments up to 120 days old.
I'll see if I can find that link and post it if it's useful.

Edit, here's the link to Visa about 120 day disputes for those that need it.

Chargeback: Debit & Credit Card Purchase Disputes

Learn all the need-to-knows around payment disputes and chargebacks, including when you're entitled to make a claim and how to go about doing so.

www.visa.co.uk

 

[KO007]

I'm also waiting for an outstanding order of 3/4 size cab, the base and t-mold to fit it. Last I heard from them was May 1st, about adding extras to the cnc on the cab, the site disappeared for me on Tuesday, I think.
I'm pretty sure though, that if you paid by Visa or Mastercard, that it may cover payments up to 120 days old.
I'll see if I can find that link and post it if it's useful.

Edit, here's the link to Visa about 120 day disputes for those that need it.

Chargeback: Debit & Credit Card Purchase Disputes

Learn all the need-to-knows around payment disputes and chargebacks, including when you're entitled to make a claim and how to go about doing so.

www.visa.co.uk

We have no outstanding orders from Arcadeworlduk to fullfil. So that order didn't reach us.

 

[mcc-destroyer]

Been keeping tabs on the eBay shop (like most are, I assume), still no luck, the AWUK shop is still closed as of 12th.

Trying to keep an open mind on this in case there's a reasonable explaination, but it's beginning to look unlikely.

Has anyone else got any updates?

 

[groovefurnisher]

Im starting to think they maybe had debt and they used money for orders to pay previous debts and hoped that the sales they where offering would inject a load of money with which they could get themselves back on an even keel. I was down £300 for 2 Sinden light gun. I contacted the Sinden site directly and they haven't had any outstanding orders. Any they did have had been sent in early feb. My order was placed the end of feb.
I had emails from Andy saying they were still waiting for the guns to arrive.
Not quite what Sinden are saying.
Maybe the ship has been slowly sinking for a while and it’s just got worse and worse until the inevitable happens.
It’s very sad, seemed like a good company.

I now need to find a new UK option.

Any suggestions welcome.

 

[georgek]

Regarding comments about his limited company. He was a sole trader and last year registered a ltd company, nothing untoward there.

That would ring alarm bells for me. If you are a sole trader then you are personally liable for all debts, going limited and you're not.

 

[mcc-destroyer]

That would ring alarm bells for me. If you are a sole trader then you are personally liable for all debts, going limited and you're not.

That's true, but then, taking the money out of the limited company's account and running off would more than likely bring about a more serious criminal charge.
Especially if it can be proven that a customer's money was taken in the knowledge that it would be closing the doors and not providing the goods.

 

[mcc-destroyer]

We have no outstanding orders from Arcadeworlduk to fullfil. So that order didn't reach us.

Cheers for the head's up on that one. I can screenshot this thread and hand it over to the bank.
I'm considering contacting my local constabulary, since I lost a substantial amount of my savings.
Like I say, I only hope a reasonable explaination and the guy produces the goods, all will be fine.

 

[Ace`]

You don't delete all your socials if everything is fine and you plan on coming back.

 

[kingtreelo]

yeah, its not looking good at all this, feel sorry for anyone who is owed stuff

used to be my go to site for stuff for a few years until it started running out of stock and scaling back on a lot of the stuff i was interested in, shitty way to treat loyal customers as well

 

[TheDaddy]

Yeh he gone i reckon , Just hope he is OK and people get there money back if they were owed stuff. I was lucky and received mine the other week.

Maybe I should start an online shop up selling ................................ I was going to do this many years ago but was unure if there was enough work out there for stuff.

Dave.

 

[esoteric_rt]

The fact they started taking preorders for items only a few months ago, this appears to have been a premeditated build up of cash reserves in order to then split the scene and rip people off.

 

[mcc-destroyer]

The eBay shop is finally closed down.
Sounds like Andy Pickerill was trying to buy time to flit.
Best of luck to him trying to avoid BBC Watchdog.
I also made a formal complaint to the PSNI here last evening.
Still waiting for the bank to get back to me.

 

[chubsta]

I know nothing of the circumstances around this particular situation so am not implying any misdeeds etc etc, but when people do rip others off and do a runner I always wonder how much money they actually get away with. In a hypothetical situation where someone runs an online shop similar to AW and gets loads of pre-orders etc before disappearing then surely it won't be THAT much money - we are not talking millions here. Even if it was over £10,000, which I would doubt as why do such a thing if the business is bringing in that much anyway, that is not enough money to spend the rest of your life running away from.

 

[mcc-destroyer]

I know nothing of the circumstances around this particular situation so am not implying any misdeeds etc etc, but when people do rip others off and do a runner I always wonder how much money they actually get away with. In a hypothetical situation where someone runs an online shop similar to AW and gets loads of pre-orders etc before disappearing then surely it won't be THAT much money - we are not talking millions here. Even if it was over £10,000, which I would doubt as why do such a thing if the business is bringing in that much anyway, that is not enough money to spend the rest of your life running away from.

He probably only took enough to clear his debtors, someone here mentioned that he might have been taking orders to fill holes in his accounts. Seems that has backfired and may have a witch hunt on his hands.
That would only be possible with prior knowledge that he was going to shut down.
Andy tried to entice me to buy coin acceptor as well, which I didn't need (so didn't order).
I had heard about his store years ago, and it seemed that he had a very good reputation amongst the Retro Arcade Scene, which is why I decided to go with him over a couple of other vendors.
It's a really pissy thing to do, take people's money and run.

My plan was to build a cab, and airbrush it. It was a building project for my kids over the summer holidays. One of my kids is very autistic, and was looking forward to playing SF2 and Outzone, and a few other coinops I told him about.

I'm more annoyed about this, not just because of the financial loss, but having to explain to my kid that his summer is ruined (it's not an easy thing to calm down an autistic, near 6ft teen, let me tell you).

So, yeah, I'm a bit pi**ed.

 

[mcc-destroyer]

I've been doing a little investigating.
Andrew Pickerill is the registered director of two companies.
AWUK and The Cheshire Boutique.
Both were incorporated on the same date. May 19 2023.
There was also a second director on the Boutique, she appears to have resigned on same date as incorporation.
Both use the same address.

Definitely something fishy going on.

I did manage to find some of his import records, also.

I've attached the lot.
Seems there's been a lot going on with this guy.
It also seems like it may be premeditated.

 

[ZedEx48K]

So, I did a little amateur sleuthing His unit is shared with another business, I spoke to them, now while not conclusive he was seen around a week ago but the staff member hasn't seen him or his vehicle today, but the fact that is of matter is that the lease is up on the unit and open to offers of rental, the woman (well 2) were nice and did say that if required she could pass details onto the landlord for contact if anyone wants to try and dig further, I said I would leave it up to those that are owed etc, UKVAC was mentioned just so anyone else has a reference point to start with. Pinnacle group is the company, AM services group is the building on Google maps.

AW address is Unit G, 8 Penrod way, Heysham.


Honestly, don't know why I did it, a moment of google maps madness!

​

 

[Marko697]

Bought lots of stuff from them over the years always had great service, very sad if they have gone but to go out owing people not great!!

 

[neoretro]

I put 2 orders in for a total of about £300-£400 as late as last week.

Both turned up the next day.

So really don’t know what’s gone on here.